European Union

Trump threatens trade probe after EU fines Google $1B

President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States would open a Section 301 trade investigation into the European Union, threatening new tariffs in retaliation for Brussels fining Alphabet's Google €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act.

Temasek eyes European defence deals amid military spending surge

Singaporean state investor Temasek is looking to increase its investments in the defence sector as European governments ramp up military budgets in response to the war in Ukraine, a senior executive said on Thursday.

EU adopts largest sanctions package in four years, targeting Russian crypto and banks

The European Union on Thursday adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, targeting cryptocurrency exchange HTX among 14 third-country crypto platforms accused of helping Moscow evade Western financial restrictions. The package, the bloc's largest in four years with 218…

EU finds TikTok breached child safety rules for third time

The European Commission on Friday issued preliminary findings accusing TikTok of violating the EU's Digital Services Act by failing to adequately protect children's privacy, the latest in a series of enforcement actions against the ByteDance-owned platform over its treatment of…

France opposes EU approval of Tesla’s FSD software

France has publicly opposed the European Union-wide approval of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software, marking the first formal rejection by an EU government of a Dutch-led effort to clear the technology for use across the bloc.

Removing Huawei gear from EU networks could cost up to $46B, industry report says

Stripping equipment from Huawei and ZTE out of European telecom networks would cost operators between €30 billion and €40 billion, according to a report published Wednesday by GSMA Intelligence — a figure roughly three times higher than the European Commission's…

June heatwave cost European grain farmers €2 billion, new analysis finds

A record-breaking June heatwave has slashed an estimated €2 billion from the value of European grain production, hammering farmers across the continent and raising concerns about global food supply chains, according to new analysis published this week by the Energy…

EU to review airline ownership rules, threatening U.S. bids for easyJet

The European Union is preparing to review its airline ownership regulations to prevent foreign investors from gaining effective control of EU carriers, an EU official disclosed at the Farnborough air show on Tuesday, in a move that could upend a…

Spain backs De Cos to succeed Lagarde as ECB president

Spain has thrown its hat into the ring for the European Central Bank's top job, backing Pablo Hernández de Cos as its candidate to succeed Christine Lagarde in what would be Madrid's first-ever bid to lead the eurozone's central bank.

EU bans destruction of unsold clothes and shoes

A ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, footwear, and accessories took effect across the European Union on Sunday, July 19, in one of the bloc's most concrete steps yet toward a circular economy and a direct challenge to the…

US presses EU to publicly roll back import rules

The Trump administration is pressing the European Union to publicly commit to a detailed plan to roll back import rules and regulations that Washington views as trade barriers, according to the Financial Times, escalating a dispute that now extends beyond…

EU unveils plan to ease cross-border banking barriers

The European Commission on Thursday published a long-awaited banking competitiveness report outlining plans to dismantle national barriers to cross-border banking, ease capital requirements for banking groups, and replace its decade-old proposal for a European deposit insurance scheme — a package…

EU solar fleet saved €20B in gas imports since war began

Europe's solar power fleet has saved the European Union €20 billion in gas import costs since the start of the war in the Middle East, according to analysis published by SolarPower Europe on July 15. The savings accumulated between March…

Greece vetoes EU sanctions on Russia to shield billionaire’s shipping company

Greece has blocked the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russia, stalling efforts to tighten economic pressure on Moscow over a single shipping company owned by Greek billionaire George Prokopiou.

EU and Ukraine sign drone production deal in Kyiv

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new Defense Industrial Partnership on Wednesday in Kyiv, formally sealing what von der Leyen called "our very own Drone Deal" during celebrations marking Ukraine's Statehood Day.

Solar hit record 25% of EU electricity in June, Ember says

Solar panels generated a quarter of the European Union's electricity for the first time in June, producing a record 52 terawatt-hours and reinforcing the technology's rapid ascent in the bloc's energy mix, according to new analysis published Monday by energy…

ECB selects 36 firms to join digital euro pilot

The European Central Bank on Monday announced it has selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a digital euro pilot, choosing from over 50 applications submitted by firms across the euro zone. The pilot will take place at the…

EU begins final negotiations on digital euro launch

The European Central Bank's digital euro project entered a decisive new phase this week as formal trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, EU governments, and the European Commission began on Monday, July 13, marking the start of what could be…

Nine European nations form missile defense coalition with Ukraine

Nine European nations and Ukraine on Monday announced the formation of an integrated anti-ballistic missile coalition aimed at developing "purely defensive" capabilities to counter ballistic missile threats, in what represents a major step toward building a continent-wide missile shield.

EU hit record Russian LNG imports ahead of 2027 ban

The European Union imported a record volume of liquefied natural gas from Russia's flagship Yamal LNG plant in the first half of 2026, even as the bloc moves to phase out all Russian gas purchases by early next year.

EU tariffs cut China-built EV share but Chinese brands keep growing, study finds

The European Union's tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles have succeeded in reducing the share of China-built EVs sold in Europe, while prompting Western automakers to relocate production to the continent, according to a new analysis published by Transport & Environment…

Hungary joins EU prosecutor’s office, unlocking €16.4B in frozen funds

The European Commission on Friday formally approved Hungary's accession to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), making it the 25th EU member state to join the bloc's anti-fraud prosecution body. The decision marks a sharp departure from years of resistance…

All 27 EU nations back €80B tech investment alliance

The European Investment Bank Group on Friday formally launched the second phase of the European Tech Champions Initiative, an ambitious fund-of-funds program that aims to mobilize up to €80 billion in investment to scale up the continent's most promising technology…

Honeywell Aero develops defense products for Europe outside US export controls

Honeywell Aerospace is expanding its development of defense products designed without restricted US technologies, aiming to tap into Europe's growing military spending as the continent seeks to reduce its dependence on American export controls, according to Reuters reporting on Thursday.

EU ban on Chinese inverters to disrupt 28 GW of solar demand through 2030

The European Union's decision to block public funding for solar inverters from China and other countries it deems "high risk" stands to affect roughly 14% of the bloc's forecasted solar demand through the end of the decade, according to an…

Cook and incoming CEO Ternus meet Bavaria’s leader amid EU AI standoff

Apple CEO Tim Cook and his designated successor John Ternus held a virtual meeting on Monday with Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, in a session underscoring the company's deepening engagement with European leaders as it navigates a fraught regulatory landscape and…

Apple loses EU court fight over gatekeeper designation

Europe's General Court on Wednesday dismissed Apple's challenge against the European Union's Digital Markets Act, upholding the European Commission's designation of the company's App Store and iOS operating system as "gatekeeper" services subject to strict competition obligations.

Only 283 crypto firms licensed as EU’s MiCA rules take full effect

The European Union's landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation took full effect on July 1, 2026, ending an 18-month transition period and requiring all crypto-asset service providers to hold MiCA authorization or cease serving EU clients. The shift represents the most…

EU mandates advanced safety tech in all new cars sold from Monday

Starting tomorrow, every new passenger car and van sold across the European Union's 27 member states must include a suite of advanced safety technologies under the final implementation phase of the bloc's General Safety Regulation. The deadline marks the culmination…

Waymo registers entities in Spain, France, Germany

Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo has registered new corporate entities in Spain and France, adding to a rapid succession of European legal filings that suggest the robotaxi operator is laying groundwork for a broad continental presence.